3.1
Career Counseling
Career counseling consists of several parts. First, it is the process of exploring and identifying your interests, values, abilities, aptitudes, and personality characteristics in order to better determine a career path or life path. It is the time to address any personal, behavioral, social, educational and or work issues that may be undermining you from reaching your goals. Finally, it is an opportunity to get support when you are experiencing job loss, job stress, or other career transition issues.
It is my purpose to help you make inroads into what you want to do and how to go about doing it. It is my intention to provide you with the tools that can help you unlock answers you need in your search. It is my aim to help you find options and make informed decisions. As a counselor, I am there to guide you in your process. As with most things in life, the ultimate decision is yours.
My master's level educational training in counseling in combination with my 25-plus years of professional experience in career counseling and assessment provides the skills and knowledge needed to let me work with you in a highly individualized way.
Establishing a caring and supportive counseling venue is of prime importance. I always maintain the highest standard of confidentiality, ethics, integrity and commitment within the counseling relationship.
Generally, I work with clients for one hour sessions. This can be on a short or long-term basis depending on your needs. In person appointments (in the Austin, Texas area) may be arranged during morning, daytime, and early evening hours. Telephone counseling appointments are also available.
After an initial free consultation, career counseling will focus on the following:
- Self Assessment to help you identify career options
- May include various standardized values, interests, aptitudes, and personality assessments
- Worksheets
- World of Work
- Exploration of career options
- Job market analysis
- Information interviews
- Mapping out an Action Plan
- Determining options
- Setting objectives and time lines
- Preparing your job search
3.2
Career Coaching
Everyone can benefit from having their own personal cheerleader. Someone to act as a "mentor" or "advisor" to help guide them towards attaining their goals, whether it is a personal dream, job or new career. A coach can help you to define your goals, determine what has to occur in order for you to achieve those goals and then provide the support, encouragement, accountability and strategy to reach those goals.
Coaching can be short-ended or an on-going relationship. Either way it is a worthwhile investment in your life, your career and your personal growth.
Whether searching for a job, changing careers or re-entering the workforce, a coach can help recognize your personal strengths and provide strategies to deal with "roadblocks" that keep you from moving in the direction that you want to go.
A coach can help you plan your objectives and ensure that you spend your time and energy in the most effective and efficient manner.
Coaching Services begin with a free consultation either by phone or in person (Austin, Texas) to determine whether coaching is the right direction for you. Then an individual coaching session is required to gather pertinent information to determine the best tools and steps needed to get you moving towards your goals.
3.3
What is the difference between Career Counseling
and Coaching?
Career Counseling is an intensive process that delves into those aspects of your life that merit exploration such as values, interests, personality, aptitudes and the world of work. It also looks at all the other aspects of your life that require examination prior to making an informed career decision.
Perhaps your current job doesn't support your new career goal, or you are afraid to make the leap to doing something new and different or you are experiencing anxiety over going back to school for more training or maybe you are feeling worthless and depressed after being laid off. Whatever it is, career counseling with a professionally trained counselor can help you better understand yourself and provide strategies for dealing effectively with issues that you would like to address. A reputable career counselor is able to work with you as a "whole person" and deal with all levels of your life.
Coaching, on the other hand, is when you might be done with the career counseling part of the process and just want some hand holding as you move along your career path. It might be that you just want to focus on one part of the career process and choose items ala carte as you need them, but still receive some guidance and support along the way. It can be done either in person (Austin, Texas) or via telecoaching, using both telephone and email as means of communication.
3.4
How do you know if you require Career Counseling
or Coaching?
A free consultation with a career counselor either by phone or in person (Austin, Texas) will help you determine which venue to choose. Then either an individual career counseling session or an individual coaching session will be required to gather pertinent information to determine the best tools and steps needed to get you moving towards your goals.
If you choose to have a coach, at some point something may come up in your life which needs addressing. At that time individual career counseling might be something that you want to focus on instead.
